Low iron levels in pregnancy

The red blood cells in your blood contain hemoglobin which carries the oxygen around your body. During pregnancy it is common for women to become mildly anemic, because the hemoglobin levels fall due to the demands of the growing baby and also because of the increased fluid content of the mother's blood , which "dilutes" the hemoglobin level.

Your hemoglobin is measured on several occasions during the prenatal period. If your levels are low-less than 100mg/dl, you will look pale, feel tired, breathless, or faint and required iron and folic acid supplements.

Mild iron-deficiency anemia in pregnancy is not harmful to the baby, who will carry on helping itself to all the iron it requires from your stores.

If the hemoglobin levels do not improve after three or four weeks of treatment, further blood tests will be performed to check for rarer causes of anemia. Occasionally, it may be necessary to give injections of iron or even a blood transfusion.

Great explanation! I had low iron in my last pregnancy, as well as after a couple of miscarriages. There was a natural supplement I got at Whole Foods, plus I ate more red meat, followed by orange juice and I ate molasses as well. I didn't have much energy at all and slept a lot until my iron was back up to normal.